Street-sweeper.



G. MAOGONGHIE.

STREET SWEEPER.

APPLICATION 111.1111 11111.31, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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G. MAGCONCHB. STREET SWEEPBR.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.31. 1911.

Patented Mar, 10, 1914.

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Patented 11:11.10, 1914.

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GEORGE lVIAoCONC-IIE, 0F NEWARK, NEW' JERSEY.

STREET-SWEEPER.

To all 107mm t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE MAcCoN- orne, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of this invention is the provision of a machine of the class used for removing litter and other foreign mattei' .from the surface of roadways and depositing the sweepings in a receptacle.

The present invention provides a machine embodying means for brushing the sweepings from a point adjacent and near the curb into the path of a main brush, which latter throws the sweepings into a collector through which travels an endless conveyor of the brush type, said conveyor delivering the sweepings into a hopper to which a bag or like receptacle is attached in a manner to be replaced when filled, the filled bag being deposited at o-ne side of the street for subsequent collection.

The invention further contemplates a novel structure of mountings for the operating parts whereby the main brush may be positively raised or lowered and held in contact with the surface by a greater or less force so as to insure a thorough and effective cleaning of the surface.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of the application, Figure 1 is a side view of a street sweeping machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a rear view, parts being broken away, Fig. l is a top plan view, parts being broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

The machine is mounted upon fore and hind trucks each comprising an axle and supporting wheels, the front axle beingl mounted to turn about a vertical axis and having the usual king bolt connection with the body or framework of the machine to admit of properly steering the same. The rear axle 1 is of the drop type to admit of Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 31, 1911.

Patented Mar. 1.0, 19t/t.

semi No. 605,722.

setting the body of the machine low down. The rear wheels 2 are loose upon the arms or spindles of the axle 1 and constitute drivers for operating the working parts, each being provided with a toot-hed rim or wheel 3 which is secured thereto in any convenient and substantial way. A hopper 4- is located at the rear of the machine and slopes toward a central point which is provided with a discharge opening through which the sweepings pass into a bag or like receptacle 5 suspended from hooks (i attached to the lower portion of the hopper about the discharge opening thereof. Braces 7 strengthen and stay the hopper. The sweepings are delivered to thc upper end of the hopper by means of an endless conveyer S, which consists of an apron or chain and a plurality of brushes. The conveyer is driven so that its upper portion travels upwardly and rearwardly to carry the sweepings from a point in front of the brush to the hopper. The conveyor passes around a roller 9, over a roller 10 and around a roller 11. The roller 9 is located near thebottom of the machine in advance of the main brush. The roller 11 is arranged near the rear of the machine just in advance of the hopper 4. The roller 10 is located nearly above the roller 9 and forward of the roller 11 and supports the upper portion of the conveyor. A passage is had for the endless eonveyer to travel through, said passage being approximately of L-form and arranged with one part extending approximately horizontal and the outer part nearly vertical. The sweepings are carried through the forward and upper portions of the passage. An apron 12 is located at the lower end of the passage and is arranged to receive the sweepings from the brush and to direct the sweepings into the passage so as to be taken up by the conveyer. The apron 12 forms in effect a collector or pan which is arranged with its lower rear edge close to or in contact with the surface so as to receive the sweepings from the brush. Rotary motion is imparted to one of the supporting rollers, preferably the upper roller 11 and for this purpose a sprocket wheel 13 is secured to a journal or shaft of the roller and receives a sprocket chain 14C, which connects the sprocket wheel with a sprocket wheel 15 secured to the shaft or journal of the main brush.

The brush 16 is of the rotary type and is located forward of the rear axle and in the rear of the lower end of the conveyer and in operation is driven so that the sweepings are brushed into the apron or pan 12. The brush is mounted in bearings at the lower ends of the bars 17 which incline forwardly and downwardly and have loose connection at their upper rear ends with the body or frame of the machine. Longitudinal slots 18 are formed in the upper ends of the bars 17 and receive studs 19 projecting laterally from the body of the machine, this construction admitting of the bars having both a pivotal and a longitudinal movement. Extensions 20 project horizontally from the lower ends of the bars 17 and terminate in hooks 21. A gear wheel or toothed rim 22 is secured to each end of the brush 16 and is adapted to mesh with the toothed rim or gear wheel 3. The brush 16 is adapted to be raised or lowered so as to throw the same into or out of operation.

Rollers 23 and 24 are located at the front end of the machine and are provided at their respective outer ends with ratchet wheels 25 and 26, which coperate with pawls mounted upon operating levers 27 and 28 which extend within convenient reach of the drivers seat 29, said pawls having connection with hand latches mounted upon the operating lever. A flexible connection 30 has one end attached to the roller 23 and wound thereon and its opposite end connected to the hook 21 of the extension 2O of a side bar 17. A flexible connection 31 has an end connected to the roller 24 and wound thereon in an opposite direction to the end of the part 30 attached to the roller 23 and the opposite end of the connection 31 is attached to the hook 21 and passes around a guide roller 32. Upon oscillating the lever 27 the flexible connection 30 is wound on the roller 23 and draws upon the extension 2O and elevates the brush 16. `When winding the part 30 upon the roller 23 it is necessary to release the roller 24 so that the connection 31 may unwind therefrom, this being effected by disengaging the pawl mounted upon the lever 28 from the ratchet wheel 26. lVhen it is required to lower the brush 16 and hold the same in contact with the surface of the street the roller 23 is released, thereby permitting the brush 16 to drop and upon rotating the roller 24 to wind the connection 31 thereon the brush 16 is drawn downward and brought into contact with the surface of the street with a greater or less degree of force so as to insure thorough and effective work. It is to be understood that each end of the brush is mounted in a bar 17 and that the flexible connections 30 and 31 are duplicated upon opposite sides of the machine. l/Vhen the brush 16 is raised or lowered the bars 17 receive a longitudinal and pivotal movement, thereby admitting of the teeth of the gear elements 3 and 22 remaining in mesh at all times.

A side brush 33 is `located upon the right hand side of the machine for throwing the sweepings from a point near and adjacent the curb outward into the path of the brush 16. rlhe brush 33 is arranged to revolve horizontally about a vertical axis and is carried by a vertical shaft 34, which is mounted in a bracket which is attached to the right hand bar 17. Arms 36 and 37 extend from the bar 35 and have loose connection at their upper ends with the body of the machine7 the upper ends of the arms being longitudinally slotted to receive studs 38, which project laterally from the frame of the machine. The arms 36 and 37 incline outwardly at their lower ends and connect with the outer portion of the bar 35. The vertical shaft has a bevel pinion 39 fastened thereto, which is in mesh with a bevel gear 40 secured to the journal or shaft of the brush 16. A longitudinal brace 41 has loose connection Vat its front end with the main frame, as indicated at 42, and its rear end receives the lower portion of the vertical shaft rllhe parts 35, 36 and 37 form a bracket which supports the brush 33 and is secured to the adjacent bars 17 so as to move therewith when adjusting the brush 1G. llhe gears 3 and 22 remain in mesh at all stages of adjustment of the brush 16 because the tendency of such brush is to move rearward when the machine is in operation. nasmuch as there is only one brush 33 and that located on the right hand side of the machine there is no necessity for such parts as the bracket and brace 41 on the left hand side of the machine.

In the operation of the machine a bag or like receptacle 5 is suspended from the hooks 6 beneath the discharge opening of the hopper 4 and in the forward movement of the machine the brushes 16 and 33 and the endless conveyer 8 are driven, the brush 33 throwing the sweepings from the curb outwardly into the path of the brush 16, and the latter throwing the sweepings forwardly into the apron or collector 12 so as to be taken up by the conveyer 8 and delivered into the hopper 4, thence into the receptacle 5. When the bag 5 is filled it is removed and set to one side of the street and another bag is placed in position. When making a turn or when it is required to throw the brush out of action the lever 27 is operated, thereby lifting the lower ends of the bars 17 and raising the brushes 16 and 33 and when the brushes are again required to be brought into contact with the surface the lever 28 is operated. It is to be understood that when operating one roller 24 the other roller 23 is released and vice versa.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art lto which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together' with the device which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

l. In a street sweeper, the combination of a rotary brush having a transverse and hori- Zontal arrangement and mounted to move vertically, braces between the rotary brush and the frame of the machine, two rollers, flexible connections attached at one end to the respective rollers and reversely wound thereon and having the opposite end connected with the brush, a guide roller for deflecting one of the flexible connections, and operating means for each of the rollers for winding the flexible connection thereon, the parts being arranged to effect positive vertical movement of the brush in each direction.

2. In a street sweeper, the combination of the main frame, a rotary brush having a transverse horizontal arrangement, side bars having loose connection at one end with the main frame and having the brush carried thereby, and also having horizontal extensions at the lower ends of the side bars, a pair of rollers, operating levers mounted in line with the rollers, a ratchet mechanism between each operating lever and its roller,

flexible connections attached to the extensions of the side bars and wound upon said rollers, and guide rollers for deflecting one of the flexible connections.

3. In a street sweeper, the combination of a rotary brush having a transverse horizontal arrangement, side bars having the rotary brush mounted therein, means for adjusting the side bars vertically, a bracket connected with one of the side bars and movable therewith, a vertical shaft mounted in said bracket and provided at its lower end with a horizontal brush, and gearing between the vertical shaft and rotary brush.

fl. In a street sweeper, the combination of a transversely arranged rotary brush, a main frame, side bars supporting the rotary brush and connected with the main frame, means for moving the side bars to effect vertical adjustment of the rotary brush, a bracket connected with one of the side bars, a vertical shaft mounted in said bracket and provided at its lower end with a horizontal brush, gearing between the vertical shaft and the transversely arranged brush, arms connected to the bracket and having loose connection with the main frame, and a hori- Zontal bar having the aforesaid vertical shaft mounted therein and having loose connection with the main frame.

In testimony whereof I a'llix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MAcCONCI-IIE.

lVitnesses GEORGE R. TAYLOR, CHAS. G. Onns'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

